A ticket is no longer a certainty for drivers who leave their vehicles parked at expired meters in Lansing, thanks to the city's "This One's On Us" program.

Motorists may now return to find a waiver, not a citation, in the envelope left on their cars.

The waiver comes in the form of a yellow flyer that reads, "This One's On Us — Time ran out on your parking meter, but instead of receiving a ticket you have been randomly selected for a waiver. This is a friendly reminder to pay careful attention to parking rules in the future."

The waiver applies only to expired meter tickets. The city issued 98 waivers from Sept. 27 to Nov. 2.

"It's random in terms of who receives it," Bob Johnson, director of Lansing's Planning & Neighborhood Development office, told WILX-TV (http://bit.ly/tZdYlE ). "It's every eighth violation that happens to come on the turn. The waiver is then issued to that expired meter."

Johnson said he hasn't seen much reaction yet.

"I think people are saying, 'Whew, I dodged a bullet on that one,' but they're not going to take the time to call and say thank you," he said.

Lansing's general fund faces a possible $12 million to $15 million dollar deficit for next year, but that is completely separate from the parking services operation.

Parking services are part of an enterprise fund that does not affect the budget and officials say the operation can afford to not collect the revenue from the fines.